Quick & Easy Dinners for Better Brain Health (Weekly Plan & Shopping List!)
Have you ever walked into a room and forgotten what you went in there for? Or do you pick up your phone to check something, get distracted and forget what you were looking for? I definitely do. But my forgetfulness is actually a good reminder to focus more attention on my cognitive health. While there are many ways to improve brain health, from doing puzzles to exercising, what you eat can also have an effect. This week’s dinners are all based on the MIND diet, which stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. It combines components of the Mediterranean diet and DASH diets and prioritizes eating brain-healthy foods like berries, leafy greens, whole grains, legumes and nuts. It’s never too early to start thinking about reducing your risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other types of cognitive decline. Let’s get cooking!
Your Weekly Plan
Sunday: Sheet-Pan Balsamic Chicken & Asparagus
Monday: Sesame-Crusted Tuna Rice Bowls
Tuesday: Lemony Linguine with Spring Vegetables
Wednesday: Raspberry-Spinach Salad
Thursday: One-Skillet Garlicky Salmon & Broccoli
Friday: Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta
Our column, ThePrep, has everything you’ll need to make dinner planning and grocery shopping as easy as can be. Nutritional needs differ from one individual to another, and we invite you to use these dinner plans as inspiration and adjust them as you see fit. Sign up to get a dinner plan delivered to your inbox every Saturday!
Sunday: Sheet-Pan Balsamic Chicken & Asparagus
Ali Redmond
Chicken finds itself on the list of brain-healthy foods because it is rich in choline, a B vitamin that helps support brain function. Here it’s paired with asparagus, red onion and a balsamic glaze for an easy sheet-pan dinner. The MIND diet recommends consuming at least seven servings of vegetables per week to increase your intake of vitamins, including folate, which helps protect against Alzheimer’s disease. Serve with whole-grain bread.
Monday: Sesame-Crusted Tuna Rice Bowls
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
You’ll want to eat at least one serving of fish each week on the MIND diet, as fish is an excellent source of protein and also omega-3s. Tuna, in particular, offers vitamin D and choline, both of which can help prevent cognitive decline. Build these bowls by coating the tuna in sesame seeds and searing it and then wilting down some baby spinach with a flavorful sauce. Microwaveable brown rice is an easy whole-grain base for the fish and veg.
Tuesday: Lemony Linguine with Spring Vegetables
This spring pasta dish helps you get a lot of vegetables in one meal. The combination of artichoke hearts, spinach and peas is packed with vitamins and fiber. A creamy, lemony sauce ties the vegetables together with whole-wheat linguine—the MIND diet recommends eating at least two servings of whole grains a week. After dinner, snack on some strawberries, which have brain-supporting antioxidants.
Wednesday: Raspberry-Spinach Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, food stylist: Julian Hensarling, prop stylist: Josh Hoggle
This delicious salad has a base of baby spinach topped with oranges, walnuts, raspberries and avocado. The MIND diet emphasizes nutrient-dense leafy greens, such as spinach, because they contain antioxidants, like beta carotene and folate, and vitamin K, which helps support cognitive function. The salad components are tossed together with a tangy orange-Dijon dressing. Serve some rotisserie chicken alongside.
Thursday: One-Skillet Garlicky Salmon & Broccoli
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey
Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation, so having it for dinner is a no-brainer (sorry, had to do it!). Sear it in a skillet and then add some broccoli and red bell peppers for a dinner that is so very good for you and your brain. Add some white beans to the skillet to warm through; they’ll contribute some magnesium and folate to the dish to support brain health.
Friday: Frittata with Asparagus, Leek & Ricotta
A frittata is such an easy dish to make. Just whisk up some eggs and throw in whatever odds and ends you have in the fridge. If you want something a little more thought-out, make this one, which features spring veggies like asparagus and leeks with protein-packed ricotta cheese. I like to serve it with arugula, dressed with whatever vinaigrette I’ve got in the fridge. All the veggies mean this dinner has tons of brain-health-supporting vitamins.
I wish you all a great week, and I hope you enjoy this dinner plan. If you try a recipe, remember to add a review.
